Thread clamp for warp beams



Dec. 31,1935.

Filed Feb. 19, 1-955 Inventor (B scar V. Payne Attorneys Patented Dec. 31, 1935 PATENT OFFICE THREAD CLAMP FOR WARP BEAMS Oscar V. Payne, Leicester,

Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 19, 1935; Serial No. 7,201

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in warp beams for looms and more particularly to an improved thread clamp to hold the ends of the warp threads which are wound on the beam.

The warp supply in a loom is usually wound on a large spool or beam located at the back of the loom from which the warp threads are drawn. Before winding the warp threads it is necessary to secure their inner ends to the beam tightly enough so that none of them can be loosened and pull out during the first few turns of the beam. It is a further object of my present invention to provide a simple form of clamp under which a small group or bunch of warp threads can be caught and held tightly with respect to the beam. The invention contemplates the use of a yieldable or flexible material, such as rubber, against which the threads can be forced to permit not onlya gripping of the threads but a deformation of a part at least of the clamp to conform to the shape of the bunch of ends. 7 The surface of the beam on which the warp is wound should preferably be free from upstanding obstructions which would otherwise make humps in the wound mass and it is a furtherobject of my invention to provide a clamp so supported and constructed as to lie wholly below the warp space.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a thread clamping unit complete in itself and arranged to be applied to the warp beam, the latter having a number of clamping units each independent of the other so that a damaged unit can be removed without disturbing the others.

Still another object of my invention relates to the formation of a clamp so constructed that it may easily be extended to thread receiving position after which it can be released to return to thread holding position. The clamp has-a head around which the warp ends may be wound to prevent them from lying in the warp space. 'In some forms of warp beam the barrel is perforated or slotted in such a way as to weaken the beams, crushing sometimes resulting from the pressure of the warp threads. It is a further object of my invention to provide a support for the clamp which shall fit into threaded perforations and offset the weakening caused by the perforation.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a warp beam having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a part of the beam shown in Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale, showing one of the clamping units in greater detail,

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a detailed central section through the upper part of the rod and head therefor forming part of the clamp.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, I have shown a warp beam having a barrel 10 which may preferably be metallic and of tubular form. Screw threads I I may be cut in the surface of the barrel near the ends thereof to receive warp space de M fining adjustable heads I2. The latter are rotatable on the threaded parts of the barrel so that they can be moved to vary the distance between them, depending upon the width of the Warp desired. Friction heads I3 are secured to the barrel and are the means by which rotation of the beam in a loom may be regulated. Supporting gudgeons 14 extend beyond the ends of the beam to be received by bearings in the loom frame. The matter thus far described is of common construction and of itself forms no part of my present invention.

As previously stated it is necessary to provide some form of holder for the weft ends W in the initial stages of winding. A selectednumber of warp threads are grouped together in a bunch and held to the warp barrel by means of the thread clamp, designated generally herein at C. There may be as many clamping units as desired and they may preferably be aligned as suggested in Fig. 1, although this is not essential.

The clamp units may be all alike and similar to the one shown in detail in Fig. 4. Each unit includes a holding cup 20 which has cylindrical walls the upper outer part of which is provided threads around the periphery of the hole 23 cut through the barrel. Each cup has a bottom 24 perforated as at 25 to receive the stem 26 of the movable part of the clamp. The stem has a head 21 provided at its upper end with a'knob 28 to permit the application thereto of a withdrawing .tool T. Slots 29 may be provided in the cylindrical part of the cup to receivea screw driver or similar implement to allow the cup to be threaded into the hole 23. g

As shown in Fig. 5 the bottom of the head may be undercut as at 30 to provide a head or rim 3| with screw threads M to be received by similar of the head 2'. are such that it will normally lie below the periphery of the barrel and therefore be out of engaging position with respect to the warp threads which are wound on the beam.

When it is desired to prepare the beam for Winding the head 2'! will be raised to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 by means of the clip or tool T, under the knob, after which the warp ends will be wound around the'part of the stem 28 whichextends above the periphery of the barrel, all as suggested in Fig. 4. When the head is released the spring will seat it against the warp threads and force the latter against the rubber cushion 32, as suggested in full lines in Fig. 4. When the head is seated as shown in Fig. 4 there will be ordinarily sufficient space in the cup and below the periphery of the barrel for the accommodation of the warp ends so that the latter need not extend upwardly in position to cause unevenness in the winding of the warp threads, but can be wrapped around the head.

It will be noted that although the barrel is perforated at a series of points, yet the perforations, in this case the holes 23, are filled by the cup which materially reinforces the barrel to prevent crushing of the same under the pressure of the accumulating mass of warp.

From the foregoing'it will be seen that I have provided a simple form of thread clamp for warp beams which employs a head urged downwardly against the warp threads and located normally below the periphery of. the barrel. It will also be seen that there is suflicient space within the cup lying around the head of the clamp for the reception of the free ends of the warp which are 1 caught under the clamp. Also, the cushion 32 can be deformed to take the shape of the bunch of warp threads and thereby assist in more tightly holding them in place. The cup 25 serves also to reinforce the beam and assist in preventing crushing of the same under the strain of the super-imposed layers of warp threads. It will further be apparent that each clamping unit is independent of the other units and can be removed for repairs or replacement. This feature also contemplates the manufacture of the clamp as a self-contained unit which'can be applied to the beam barrel with a minimum effort.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a warp beam having a cylindrical barrel, a hollow support threaded into the barrel and having a bottom, a thread clamping element extending through the bottom and having a head normally located within the support, and yielding means to urge thehead in a direction toward the bottom of the cup against warp threads to hold the latter in place.

2. In a warp beam having 'a cylindrical barrel, a hollow support threaded into the barrel, a bottom for said suport, a cushion of yieldable material in the cup resting on said bottom, a clamping element having a head normally confined within the support, and yielding means to hold the head against the cushion, the warp ends be- 5 ing caught between the head and the cushion. 3. In a warp beam having a cylindrical barrel, a. hollow support threaded into the barrel, a bottom for said support, a cushion of rubber located in the cup and supported on the bottom 10 thereof, a rod extending through the cushion and bottom of the cup, a head for the rod normally located within the support, and a compression spring surrounding the rod and serving normally to holdthe head against the cushion, said 15 head being removable by compression of the spring to a position outside of the cup to permit wrapping of the warp threads around the rod, said spring thereafter effective to move the head into the cup and cause said head to clamp the 20 thread against the cushion.

'4. In a warp beam having a cylindrical barrel, a cup having sides threaded into the barrel, a bottom for said cup, a thread clamp element having a headnormally located within the cup and 25 below the periphery of the barrel, a compression spring urging the head against the bottom of the cup-to clamp the weft threads under'the head, and'a' knob on said head to facilitate removal of the latter from thecup to permit plac- 30 mg of the/warp threads under the head.

5. In a warp beam having a cylindrical barrel, a cup'hav'ing sides threaded into the barrel, a bottom for said cup, a cushion of yielding-material located in the cup, a clamping head hav- 35 ing a portion'thereof adapted for engagement with'the cushion, a rim" extending around the bottom of thehead, yielding means to hold the rim against the cushion to hold warp threads in place, and means on said headformed to 40 facilitate temporary removal of the head from the cup for the placing of warp threads under thehead. I I V t 6. In a warp beam having a cylindrical barrel, [a cup threaded into the barrel, a bottom for the cup, a' warp thread engaging element normally carried by the cup-substantially in fixed relation with respect thereto at all times, amovable head element also for engagement with-warp threads'and the first named element, one of said 5 elements formed to present a deformable surface'to 'engage 'the warp threads, iand yielding means to hold'said' elements together to clamp the warp threads between them. i l

'7. In a warpbea m having acylindrical barrel, 55 a cup secured tothe barrel and extending inwardly from -the periphery thereof, a thread clamping head located within the cup and under the periphery of the band, a knob on the head by means of which the latter maybe-moved outso wardly to have warp threads placed thereunder, the head and knob being smaller than the interior dimensions of the cup to define a space under the knob in which the Warp ends may be wrapped around the head to keep them below 5 the periphery of the barrel;

8.'A thread clamping unit for awarp beam havinga metallic barrel, said unit having a cylindrical 'cup provided with screw threads, a bottom for the cup, a thread clamping element 70' extending through the bottom and having a head normally located; within the cup, a' spring operatively related to the head to'hold the same within the -cup normally and deformable to per i r mere 9 h Pearl. t a posifi e gitsifi T5.

the cup for placing Warp threads under the head.

9. A thread. clamping unit for a warp beam having a metallic barrel, said unit having a hollow cup provided with screw threads, a bottom for the cup, a thread clamping element extending through the bottom and having a head normally located within the cup, a spring operatively related to the head to hold the same within the cup normally and deformable to permit removal of the head to a position outside the cup for placing warp threads under the head, and a cushion of yieldable material carried by the cup in the bottom thereof against which the head is urged by the spring.

10. A thread clamping unit for a warp beam 7 having a cylindrical barrel, said unit having a hollow cup provided with external screw threads to be threaded into the barrel, a bottom for the cup, a cushion of yieldable material resting on the bottom of the cup, a head located within the cup and having a knob on the upper part thereof by which the head can be moved relatively to the cup, a stem extending from the head through the cushion and bottom of the cup, and a compression spring surrounding the stem and having one end thereof engaged with the bottom and the other end held with respect to the stem,

the head being smaller than the interior dimensions of the cup to define a space within the cup for warp ends to be wrapped around the head under the knob, the spring moving the head toward the cushion.

OSCAR v. PAYNE.- 

